Etsy will compensate the CO2 emissions of its sellers for free

Etsy has a unique challenge, with 98 percent of total transportation emissions attributable to items delivered directly from the seller to the buyer. In most cases, it's up to the seller to do the shipping, and that does not change. Now Etsy will buy verified emissions reductions for each purchased item through a third party, 3Degrees. These loans do not directly impact emissions, but support green projects, including wind and solar parks in India and forest conservation in Minnesota.

The change is for buyers and sellers at no additional cost and for Etsy with minimal costs. "Considering that these offsets cost Etsy less than a penny a parcel, we do not think the cost should be an unaffordable factor that others can follow in our footsteps," the company wrote in a blog post.

Amazon may not be It is reasonable to compensate for ship emissions, but the retail giant announced earlier this month that half of its shipments should be carbon neutral by 2030. Given the size of Amazon, it will understandably take more time to get the ship right than Etsy.